Aftermath
by ReddHerring
Summary: This is a story involving the immediate aftermath of Voldemort's downfall. I will focus mainly on the Weasleys along with Harry, Hermione and some assorted Death Eathers. I am hoping to stay true to the characters. there is one big surprise though
1. Chapter 1

_I've had this story in my head for a while and have just now decided to put it down. The main characters featured will be Percy, George and Fred, while Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny will have supporting roles._

_It is set right after the events of Deathly Hallows and I have tried to stay true to the characters._

_This first chapter is not very cheery, but please stick with me, the whole story will not be full of good ole fashioned emoing, I solemnly swear there will also be light heartedness and comedy._

_Please feel free to leave me reviews on my writing style, plot and characterizations, whether you love it, hate it, or are merely indifferent to it._

_Everything in the {} is pulled straight from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I only used a quote or two to set the scene at the beginning._

* * *

{The air exploded. They had been grouped together, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and Percy, the two Death Eaters at their feet, one Stunned, the other Transfigured; and in that fragment of a moment, when danger seemed temporarily at bay, the world was rent apart…}

Percy blinked and searched for his glasses that had been knocked askew by the blast. As he reached out for them, he saw a shapeless form slide out of the great hole recently hewed out of the castle wall. He quickly stumbled forward while shoving his glasses back into place. It was too late though, the shape had vanished and he hadn't been able to tell what it was. Then he stumbled over something solid and unmoving. All thought of that unidentifiable shape vanished as he glanced down.

He lost all control and collapsed to his knees. His whole body shaking, he barely noticed Ron kneeling on the other side of their dead brother, Fred.

"No---no----no! No! Fred! No!" Percy frantically shook Fred. He didn't even realize that he was calling out. His head was filled with a loud buzzing and he couldn't think straight. This couldn't be happening…it couldn't be.

The tears ran fast and thick down his face. He vaguely heard people shouting at him to move but he ignored them. It could have been years, or it could have been five minutes, but Percy finally realized that Harry Potter was trying to move Fred away from any further harm.

Numbly, he rose to his feet and helped to carry the body of his dead brother to an alcove. Once he let go of Fred, his mind cleared in a sudden rush of fury, and he charged the first Death Eater he saw. They would pay…they would all pay.

--

George made his way to the Great Hall slowly, supporting an injured Angelina Johnson as he went. Abruptly Angelina came to a dead stop and stared ahead, a look of apprehension and fear stealing over her face.

He almost didn't want to follow her gaze, even though he knew that there had to be many casualties, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to find out just who had lost their lives. He swallowed hard, shut his eyes, counted to five and looked.

And then all the light in his world was snuffed out.

He slid away from Angelina who was standing, frozen on the spot. George's eyes had a glassed over, unseeing stare as he stumbled forward, one foot after the other. It simply could not be true. That wasn't his twin lying on the ground. Fred hadn't died. Surely he would have felt the better part of him die if it had truly happened, wouldn't he?

His family did not notice him approach; they were all gathered around Fred.

He shook his head and dug his knuckles roughly into his eyes. He would open his eyes again, and that would not be Fred on the ground. His whole family would be in front of him, unharmed, waiting anxiously to see him.

George slowly opened his eyes. The scene had not changed. His father had finally noticed him. Mr. Weasley's face was wet with tears as he stroked his mother's hair. He reached out a hand toward George who ignored him.

George did not even notice the tears streaming down his face as he took the last few trembling steps toward his twin. Nothing could ever be right again, nothing could ever fix this.

The whole Weasley family had now noticed his presence. Percy stumbled toward him, his whole body shaking.

'The…the wall collapsed…he was trapped under it…'

Sudden fury clouded George's head.

'You were there?!' He spit out, his voice furious. George covered the rest of the distance to Percy in a second, his eyes flashing. When he spoke next, his voice was barely discernible, only a ragged whisper of its former self. 'You were there, and you let it happen? You just stood there and let my brother die? You really are a coward.' George's eyes locked with Percy's, who was so shaken that he did not make a sound.

'I wish it had been you.' George slammed his fist into the side of Percy's face.

'George!' Mr. Weasley pulled Percy back and positioned himself between his two sons.

Mrs. Weasley only sobbed harder in the background.

'We are all shocked and upset, and I know it is ten times worse for you, but please, get a hold of yourself.'

George refused to meet his father's gaze. He stepped around Mr. Weasley then threw himself at his brother's body and hid his face in Fred's shoulder.

Percy stood, alone, his head lowered as blood trickled down his cheek from a fresh cut under his eye made from his glasses when George punched him. His hands were curled into trembling fists at his side. Deep down, he too wished it had been him.

--

The rest of the battle, including Voldemort's defeat, was lost on George. He suffered through all of it in some kind of dense fog. As soon as all the post battle celebrations began, he slipped away from everyone and made his way out of the Great Hall.

George just let his feet lead them where they may and he ended up in one of the castle's many hidden passageways. He slumped against the cold stone wall, no longer able to support his own weight, and slowly slid down to the floor.

For the longest time, he saw nothing and he thought nothing. But after a while, disconcerted threads of thought began to run through his mind. Fred was dead…Fred was dead. But no, he would come bursting into the hidden passage any second now and they would both laugh about what an excellent joke it had all been.

There…he could even hear him now. He jumped to his feet and pulled away the hanging that covered the doorway, a grin coming to his lips.

'Fred! I knew you weren't…'

The grin instantly vanished as his words trailed off. There was no one there.

He gasped as the full realization hit him. He would never see his twin again. Never pull another prank, never crack another joke, his mother would never again confuse the two.

Suddenly he couldn't breathe. He stumbled and grabbed ahold of the tapestry to regain his balance. In the next second he ripped it from its hangings and blasted it to shreds with his wand.

He started blasting bricks from the castle walls but it did no good. He threw his wand to the ground and punched the stone over and over until his knuckles were raw and bloody. George didn't notice the pain as he clawed uselessly at the stones, moaning, 'No Fred, no. It isn't fair. Why did you have to go where I can't follow? Come back, please come back.'

Gut wrenching sobs wracked his body as he covered his face in his bloody hands.

--

Celebrations and memorials were happening all throughout Hogwarts in the time following Voldemort's death. Peeves cackled gleefully as he zoomed through the castle. His last song about the Malfoys had been an especially good one, if he did say so himself.

Inspiration suddenly struck and he was about to charge back into the Great Hall with another Malfoy gem when something caught the corner of his eye.

He slowly floated to a halt, his eyes drawn to a small section of the corridor where a most peculiar piece of scenery was roped off from the regular stone floors. It was a small stretch of swamp, completely out of place in the castle.

Peeves lowered his ghostly head and recited softly,

'An ode to Fred,

Who is now dead,

Someone said,

They brought a wall down on his head,

But I won't leave it unsaid,

…He was one of the greats.

Peeves hovered for another silent second in front of the swamp, and then he moved off swiftly down the hall, giggling to himself as recited his new Malfoy song.


	2. Chapter 2

…One Month Later.

Ron groaned and let his head fall into his hands.

'Hermione? I need your help again.'

A muffled sigh could faintly be heard from behind a giant pile of books. 'Honestly, Ron, what is it this time? I haven't been able to get started on my own portion at all because I've been spending this whole time doing yours.'

Harry couldn't stifle the grin that slowly formed. For a moment there, it had sounded and felt like they were back at Hogwarts and Ron had been trying to shove off another homework assignment onto Hermione.

He went back to restocking the canary crèmes.

Ever since Voldemort's defeat, everything had been so different. The constant feel of danger and death had begun to slowly fade, but there was nothing to replace it. Most of the survivors were just left empty.

It seemed like no family had gone untouched in the violent, epic battle fought at Hogwarts.

Ron slammed his book shut. 'I'm sorry that I'm not as perfect as you, Hermione! I just have trouble with all these figures and I can't make sense out of most of it.' His shoulders slumped as Hermione peeked out from behind her pile of books.

'It's ok, Ron, really, why don't you go help Harry? I know your trying, and it is really hard to keep all these figures straight. Business has been booming since…since the battle. Everyone wanting distractions and all.' Her voice tapered off.

Ron mutely nodded and left his place at the front desk to help Harry unload merchandise onto the shelves.

Harry sighed. He knew Ron had been trying his best to help, but financial numbers were just not his strongest subject.

He was only too happy when Hermione interrupted their work by leaping to her feet half an hour later.

'Oh no! Its already 6:30, we've got to get going or your going to be late to your own party, Harry!'

---

It was 7 pm and Percy knew that he couldn't put it off any longer. He marked his place in the notes he had been compiling, then stood and stretched. Ever since the battle he had thrown himself wholeheartedly into two efforts: helping Kingsley to rebuild the ministry and reconnecting with his family. Right now he was going to be late for dinner with his family so he hurried out of his office and down the lift. He quickly strode to the nearest fireplace and took a pinch of floo powder. 'The Burrow.'

He was momentarily confused by the empty table in the kitchen, but then he remembered that they would be eating in the garden tonight because of all the guests.

Once outside, he had a few moments before anyone noticed him. He paused awkwardly; he still hadn't completely got over his estrangement with his family. It wasn't that they didn't make him feel welcome, because that wasn't the case at all. Maybe, deep down, he felt that they had welcomed him back too graciously, and that he really didn't deserve that type of easy forgiveness.

He scanned the guests. Closest to him sat Bill and Fleur. They had announced a week ago that Fleur was pregnant, and it had been the best news of the summer. After all the death and agony, it was refreshing to think of new life.

Next in line were Charlie and Hagrid, who were both already consuming copious amounts of fire whiskey.

On the other side of the table sat Tonk's mother, who was feeding a happily smiling baby Teddy.

On Teddy's other side sat Harry, who looked slightly torn between giving his attention to either Ginny or Teddy.

Across from them were Ron and Hermione, the former leaning his head against the latter's shoulder, looking exhausted.

His father and mother were at the head of the table, and there, bathed in shadow, sat George, his eyes dull and unseeing.

Percy knew that George had not forgiven him. That he probably never would forgive him.

Suddenly Molly Weasley spotted Percy hovering near the back door and she leapt to her feet, rushing over to embrace him.

'Percy dear, sit down, sit down. Everyone else is here and we're ready to get started.'

He managed to conjure up a grin. 'Happy Birthday, Harry!'

He placed a brightly wrapped parcel among the huge pile already in front of Harry.

Ron snickered. 'Let's just hope it's not his new dissertation on broomstick length that he decided to gift wrap.'

Hermione rolled her eyes but most of the table laughed.

Percy's eyes moved to George for the briefest of seconds. He was not laughing, Percy didn't know if he'd even heard Ron.

He squeezed himself in between Bill and Charlie as Mrs. Weasley waved her wand and platters full of food came zipping out of the kitchen. Everyone soon fell to eating.

When most of the food had vanished, Mr. Weasley dimmed the lights in the garden with a flick of his wand. A birthday cake came zipping up to the table, barely supported by a teetering Kreacher, who was dressed in his finest for the occasion.

Harry grinned. 'Thanks Kreacher, that must have taken you hours and hours to make. It looks incredible.'

The cake was a miniature replica of Hogwarts, complete with turrets, greenhouses, and even Hagrid's hut (which he was quick to point out to everyone, a happy tear glimmering in his eye).

'Look at that! The little fella is an artist, he is. Looks exactly like it, doesn' it?'

Kreacher made a sweeping bow as everyone exclaimed over the cake.

Mrs. Weasley stood up. 'Harry dear, I'm so pleased that you decided to spend your 18th birthday with us-'

'Decided?' Ron muttered. 'Not like you've had this planned for weeks, or gave him any choice in the matter.'

Charlie chuckled as Ron jumped in his seat. Hermione was glaring at him and he had surely just been the recipient of one of her patented 'mind your manners right now or its going to get much worse' kicks.

Fortunately, Mrs. Weasley had not heard Ron and she continued with her speech. 'It is so wonderful to have the whole family together to celebrate-'

A dull, lifeless voice cut her off. 'The whole family is _not_ together.'

An intense quiet fell around the table. The only sound to be heard for several heartbeats was crickets chirping and the mad pitter patter of feet as some gnomes fled from Crookshanks in the background.

'George.' Mr. Weasley's voice was soft but firm. 'This is not the time.'

Percy quickly glanced at the head of the table. His mother looked devastated, her eyes were misty and her lower lip was beginning to quiver.

George barked a humorless laugh. 'Not the time? Not the time for what? To point out that Mum's already starting to forget about one of her own sons?'

Tears started slipping down Mrs. Weasley's cheeks. 'Oh Molly.' Mr. Weasley jumped to his feet and hugged her tightly to him. 'You know he doesn't mean it.'

'I don't mean it!?' George jumped to his feet, knocking his chair over. 'Of course I bloody well mean it. You're all just sitting here celebrating Harry's birthday, acting like nothing is wrong.'

Bill was also on his feet. 'George, that's enough.'

George glared fiercely at his oldest brother. 'Oh sod off Bill.'

Ginny hurled angry glares at both Bill and George. 'Stop it! Both of you!'

Teddy started wailing. Mrs. Tonks scooped him up and made a beeline for the kitchen.

Hagrid hastily downed the rest of his fire whiskey, doing his best to pretend that he didn't hear anything.

Kreacher threw himself in front of Harry, as if he suspected he would be in danger at any moment.

The two brothers ignored Ginny and everyone else.

Bill returned George's glare and took a step toward him. 'Sit down and stop making an ass of yourself George.' Fleur gasped and pulled at Bill's sleeve, trying to tug him back to his seat.

He shrugged her off. 'You act like you're the only one affected by his death, like you were the only one in this family who cared about him.'

Mr. Weasley spoke over Mrs. Weasley's shoulder. 'Bill, lets not escalate this any further…'

'He needs to hear it, Dad. May as well be now.' He rounded on George again and took a step closer.

Charlie pushed his chair back, ready to intervene if things grew any more heated.

'We all loved him George, we all miss him. But we need to move on with our lives. I haven't said anything to you before now because I figured you would snap out of it eventually yourself. But you've gone too far. All you do is lock yourself in your room; you won't come out unless forced. Your business would be falling apart right now if it weren't for Ron, Harry and Hermione. So stop being such a git and hold your head up high, like the rest of us do. That's what Fred would have wanted us to do.'

Throughout Bill's speech George had stood motionless, transfixed. As soon as Fred's name was spoken, something inside him seemed to snap. He said, voice almost a growl. 'Don't say his name.'

Sympathy seeped into Bill's tone. 'He was my brother, too, George.'

George ran his hands through his wild red hair and tugged on the ends, his whole body starting to shake. 'You don't understand! None of you understand!'

He gave a broken cry that shattered the hearts of everyone at the table. 'I'm alone now, I'm all alone.'

He lunged for the back door. On a sudden impulse, Percy jumped to his feet and held a hand out to his younger brother. 'George, I…'

George shrunk back as if burned. 'Don't you dare touch me, you filth.'

He skirted around Percy's still outstretched hand and fled inside.

His friends and family sat and stood in absolute silence, save Mrs. Weasley's growing sobs.

---

Ron waited until most of the party quests had left for the night, which didn't take too long, considering the nights after dinner entertainment. He gave Hermione a quick hug and promised to talk to her at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes tomorrow before she apparated home. He and Harry fell into step as they trudged up the kitchen stairs.

'Not really the party you had in mind, was it mate?' Harry looked pained and Ron quickly added. 'Sorry.'

He hesitated at the landing below his attic bedroom. 'Why don't you go ahead Harry, I'll be up in a bit?' Harry nodded and left him behind. Ron waited until he heard the door close above him, then he turned to the door in front of him.

Ron took a deep, calming breath before he opened the door and quickly stepped inside, pulling the door shut behind him.

Fred and George's old room was pitch dark. He stood in the doorway for a moment to let his eyes adjust.

There was a soft sniffling sound coming from Fred's old bed, so he sat down on George's instead.

He sat there in silence for what seemed like forever. Finally he decided he could not bear it any longer.

'You know you went too far out there.' No response from the other darkened bed, save the sniffling abruptly stopped.

Ron stared intently down at his hands in his lap, his eyes were adjusting better to the darkness, and he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to see his brother.

A ragged, hoarse whisper eventually replied. 'I know.'

Ron felt a jagged spike of anger. 'You really hurt Mum, you know, telling her that she didn't care about him.'

Again, the same ragged, hoarse whisper answered. 'I know.'

The anger melted away as suddenly as it had come. 'You also know that everything Bill said was right, don't you?'

Several long moments passed and just when Ron began to think he wasn't going to get a reply, George spoke.

'Do you remember the quidditch game, against Hufflepuff? You must have been in your second year.'

Ron was so shocked at the change of subject that he didn't know how to answer.

George continued. 'Their beaters really had it out for me and Fred in that match. We always reckoned it was because they were jealous of our awesome talent and natural good looks.'

There was another long pause before he continued. 'Well, Jones sent that bludger at Fred while he was preoccupied with trying to hit Diggory's perfect face with the other bludger. Fred never saw it coming and it broke his arm.'

'I was on the complete opposite side of the pitch when it happened. And Ron, I knew that it happened. I knew that Fred was hurt, I just felt it. We always knew when something was wrong with the other, always.'

Another long silence reigned. 'I…during the battle I didn't feel anything like that.' His voice dropped to a tortured whisper. 'How could I have not felt Fred die?'

Instinctively, Ron crossed the space between the beds and sat next to George on Fred's old bed. He tentatively put his arm around his older brother's shoulders. George slowly leaned against Ron as he started to shake.

He choked on a sob as Ron tightened his arm around his shoulders. 'Why didn't I feel him die?'


	3. Chapter 3

Harry's stomach rumbled for what felt like the 50th time.

'I'm starving. Is it break time yet?'

Ron frowned and looked at the large crowd in the store. It was less than a week before students were set to leave for Hogwarts, and Weasley's Wizard Wheezes was packed.

'Oy! Take that out of your pocket!' Ron started toward an innocent looking fourth year when Ginny breezed by him, wand out. 'Don't worry, I'll get him Ron!'

He looked after his younger sister with a satisfied grin on his face. 'I'm so glad Ginny's helping out before she goes back to Hogwarts for her last year. I'd get in so much trouble if I went after one of these little bastards, but Ginny is still underage and she's so good at hexing.'

Harry had a stupid grin on his face as he watched her threatening the now terrified looking fourth year. He was thinking of their plan to take simultaneous daydream potions once Ginny started back at Hogwarts. 'That's not the only thing she's good at.'

Ron waved his wand in Harry's face. 'Snap out of it. And please watch it, she is still my little sister you know. I gave you my permission, but that doesn't mean I need to hear all about it.'

The fourth year's hand had sprouted a number of red, angry boils, and they were chanting in a high pitched, squeaky voice 'I'm a thief, I'm a thief.'

Harry finally managed to tear his eyes away from Ginny, his face reddening a bit. 'Oh yeah, sorry Ron.'

'Why don't you grab Hermione and go get something to eat, I think Ginny, George and I can hold down the store for a while.'

After Harry's disastrous birthday dinner, George had started to emerge from his flat above the store to help out. He didn't really talk to anyone and he was still massively depressed, but Ron figured it was better to have a zombie George instead of no George at all.

Harry managed to find a frazzled looking Hermione who was over by the Pygmy Puffs, trying to explain to a gaggle of first years that the Puffs were for petting, and they were definitely not a colorful, moving snack food. She sounded relieved at a chance to get away from the store for a bit.

They took their time walking down Diagon Alley towards the Leaky Cauldron.

The Hogwarts letters had gone out, so the Alley was bustling with business.

Hermione smiled tightly. 'Its good to see this place almost back to the way it was.'

Harry nodded and changed the subject. 'Did you get all your stuff yet?'

'Not yet, I still need to stop by Madame Malkin's for some new robes. It's going to be really weird to go back to Hogwarts without you and Ron.'

Harry shrugged. 'You'll have Ginny. Dean's going back too.' He scowled briefly while he thought about that.

'Ron and I…well, it feels like we've almost outgrown it, you know? And Kingsley offered both of us immediate positions with the aurors. We're going to start training with them as soon as George gets back on his feet with the store. It's too bad he won't let Percy help out like he offered. Only person I know who is better at keeping books than you, Hermione.' He gave her a crooked grin.

'You know you could pretty much name any position you want, as well, and Kingsley would give it to you. You don't really need to go back to Hogwarts.'

Hermione shook her head, bushy hair flying. 'I don't want to do it like that, I'm going to earn whatever position I get.' She quickly changed the subject because she didn't feel like arguing the point again, like they had been all summer.

'I thought Mrs. Weasley was finally going to lose it when Ron told her he wasn't going back to finish.' She giggled. 'Mr. Weasley was hiding out in the tool shed for days after Ron told her. I suppose it doesn't help Ron's case that Fred and George never finished either…'

Her face fell and they walked the rest of the way in silence. These days, there were way too many topics that all warranted a change of subject.

They slipped inside the Leaky Cauldron and managed to find a table among the crush of people near one of the small, private rooms. They had just got their food when they heard an excited squeal behind them.

Hannah Abbott came rushing up and flung herself into an empty seat at their table.

They didn't even have time to say hello before she excitedly told them the news, that Tom had decided to retire and wanted to sell the Leaky Cauldron, and her parents were going to help her to buy it.

Hannah and Hermione dropped quickly into talk of business models and expansions and Harry started to zone out as he ate his lunch.

Suddenly something he heard behind him, from the direction of the private room, made him start listening very hard. Two men were speaking in gruff, soft voices. He didn't dare turn around and express too much interest, they would probably recognize him if they saw him. Everyone recognized him nowadays, even more so than before.

'Yeah.' Gruff voice number one said. 'I hear they're holed up in some old ruined castle up north in Scotland.'

Gruff voice number two spoke in a whisper, so low Harry could barely hear it. 'Keep your voice down.'

Gruff voice number one laughed humorlessly and continued to speak at the same volume. 'Ain't nobody in here 'cept families gettin' their little kiddos ready for back to school.'

'None of 'em care about a couple of rogue Death Eaters hidin' out up north.'

There it was again. Harry had heard them mention Death Eaters a minute before as well, which is what had perked his attention.

Gruff voice number two hissed angrily, 'Just the same, you never know who else is in here, so keep your damn voice down.'

Harry hunched down, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. He was glad they had sat at a corner table, out of the way of most of the pub patrons.

'Anyways,' voice number one continued, 'I hear they have this high profile prisoner that they're keepin' up there, someone they took durin' the battle.'

Harry frowned. High profile prisoner taken during the battle? Surely they couldn't mean the battle of Hogwarts. Everyone had been accounted for. But what other battle could they possibly be talking about?

Voice number two was talking again. 'Wars over, and I dunno if anyone told them, but they lost. Dunno what they plan on doin' with him, besides keepin' him round for decoration.' Both voices laughed harshly.

He was vaguely aware of Hermione and Hannah trying to get his attention. 'So Harry, don't you think that would be a really good idea? Harry? Harry?'

He hissed at them to be quiet, but the laugher behind him had cut off abruptly and he heard chairs scraping back.

Harry leapt to his feet as Hermione and Hannah looked on, confused. He whirled around but the room was empty save for two half full mugs of some nasty looking drink. He did a quick sweep inside the bar area but the two men who had sat behind him were long gone.

He swore quietly under his breath as Hermione caught up to him at the door.

'Harry what's wrong?' She looked worried as she scanned the area, though she was not really sure what she was looking for. 'Why are you acting so strange?'

'Lets get back to the store, I'll tell you when we find Ron.'

Harry and Hermione quickly rushed back to the store, pushing through the mobs of people in Diagon Alley. Once inside the store they pulled Ron aside into the defense against the dark arts backroom and Harry quickly told them what he had heard.

Ron frowned while Hermione looked thoughtful. 'But no one was missing after the battle Harry. Everyone was either in the Great Hall or…well all the bodies were recovered as well. Are you sure that's what they said?'

Harry nodded his head. 'I'm positive.'

'Even if there isn't anyone from our side missing, we still need to look into this. Kingsley wants to follow up on any leads on the Death Eaters that got away.'

Ron answered. 'Harry's right, just because some blokes in a bar said it doesn't mean we shouldn't follow up.'

Hermione still looked troubled. 'It just seems like such an odd thing for them to say. A high profile prisoner? Don't you think we'd know someone was missing?'

Harry shrugged. 'Ron, why don't you go find Pig, let's send a letter to Kingsley right away and let him know what I heard.' Ron rushed off to find his owl while Harry started to search for some paper.

'Oh come on, theres some paper up at the desk.' Harry and Hermione left in a rush to find paper.

Neither Harry, Ron, nor Hermione noticed that George had been standing behind a shelf in the back room with them. He had been unpacking some boxes of decoy detonators when they had rushed back to hold their hurried conversation.

Now he sat back on his heels on the floor, his eyes staring far off into the distance.


End file.
